In Ellenwood, Ga., a southeast suburb of Atlanta, Perkins&Will has partnered with Clayton County Public Schools and MEJA Construction to create a $85 million secondary school. Morrow High School, which opened in fall 2022, serves more than 2,200 students in Clayton County, a community with students from over 30 countries.
The curving, S-shaped classroom building follows the ridge that runs across the greenfield site, reducing impact on its wetlands. The three-story classroom building connects via skybridge to an athletic building with basketball and volleyball courts, an auxiliary gym, weight room, and locker rooms. In addition to the two main buildings, students throughout the school district can access the new stadium for football and track and field, as well as facilities for baseball, softball, and tennis.
At each bend in the building, common spaces encourage students to socialize and learn in between classes. Large windows at every bend of the building’s S-curved shape allow natural light to enter the center of the facility, encouraging health and wellness.
The design also has a built-in wellness component by encouraging students to keep moving, with lighting, locker location, flooring, and colors emphasizing a sense of movement and providing access to natural light and the outdoors. All of the indoor spaces have views of the site’s natural surroundings.
“In this design, we tried to capture a vision for the future of this community that’s dynamic, healthy, and at the forefront of public education,” Jared Serwer, Associate Principal and Design Lead, Perkins&Will, said at last year’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We have worked to develop a design that celebrates the diversity of this community and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration between the sciences, the arts, career education, and athletics.”
On the Building Team:
Owner: Clayton County Public Schools
Architect: Perkins&Will
Structural engineer: Uzun + Case
Civil engineer: Eberly & Associates
MEP engineer: Andrews, Hammock & Powell
Acoustics: Acustica Design
General contractor: MEJA Construction
Related Stories
School Construction | Apr 22, 2024
A school district in Utah aggressively moves forward on modernizing its schools
Two new high schools manifest nuanced design differences.
Fire-Rated Products | Apr 16, 2024
SAFTI FIRST launches redesigned website
SAFTI FIRST, leading USA-manufacturer of advanced fire rated glass and framing systems, is pleased to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website, safeglassforschools.com.
K-12 Schools | Apr 11, 2024
Eric Dinges named CEO of PBK
Eric Dinges named CEO of PBK Architects, Houston.
K-12 Schools | Apr 10, 2024
A San Antonio school will provide early childhood education to a traditionally under-resourced region
In San Antonio, Pre-K 4 SA, which provides preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, and HOLT Group, which owns industrial and other companies, recently broke ground on an early childhood education: the South Education Center.
K-12 Schools | Apr 10, 2024
Surprise, surprise: Students excel in modernized K-12 school buildings
Too many of the nation’s school districts are having to make it work with less-than-ideal educational facilities. But at what cost to student performance and staff satisfaction?
K-12 Schools | Apr 1, 2024
High school includes YMCA to share facilities and connect with the broader community
In Omaha, Neb., a public high school and a YMCA come together in one facility, connecting the school with the broader community. The 285,000-sf Westview High School, programmed and designed by the team of Perkins&Will and architect of record BCDM Architects, has its own athletic facilities but shares a pool, weight room, and more with the 30,000-sf YMCA.
Security and Life Safety | Mar 26, 2024
Safeguarding our schools: Strategies to protect students and keep campuses safe
HMC Architects' PreK-12 Principal in Charge, Sherry Sajadpour, shares insights from school security experts and advisors on PreK-12 design strategies.
K-12 Schools | Mar 18, 2024
New study shows connections between K-12 school modernizations, improved test scores, graduation rates
Conducted by Drexel University in conjunction with Perkins Eastman, the research study reveals K-12 school modernizations significantly impact key educational indicators, including test scores, graduation rates, and enrollment over time.
K-12 Schools | Feb 29, 2024
Average age of U.S. school buildings is just under 50 years
The average age of a main instructional school building in the United States is 49 years, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). About 38% of schools were built before 1970. Roughly half of the schools surveyed have undergone a major building renovation or addition.
Construction Costs | Feb 22, 2024
K-12 school construction costs for 2024
Data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for four different types of K-12 school buildings (elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and vocational schools) across 10 U.S. cities.
